On May 22, just after dawn, Republicans in Congress voted to advance a bill which will terminate health care for more than 13 million Americans and take food away from more than 4 million kids—all to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. EverThrive IL is deeply concerned about the impact of this bill, if enacted, on our state’s families, communities, and economy.
This proposal includes the largest cuts to Medicaid in history and will trigger $500 billion in cuts to Medicare. This will make it harder and more expensive for all of us to access health care.
Policies included in this 1,000 page bill, which was rushed to a vote mere hours after language was made public, include:
- Imposing onerous barriers to enrolling in Medicaid, including kicking people off Medicaid if they lose their job
- Punishing states that use their own money to provide health insurance for children and seniors regardless of immigration status
- Threatening sexual and reproductive health care by restricting access to essential providers
- Prohibiting coverage for gender-affirming care
A partial analysis from the Congressional Budget Office estimates that at least 10 million Americans will have their health benefits terminated and 3 million will lose access to food stamps. Importantly, the CBO also found that the benefit of reduced taxes will go entirely to the wealthiest households. This is a reverse robin hood, making the rich richer at the expense of health care and food for the most vulnerable.
The Senate will take up consideration of this bill starting in June, with tense negotiations to change the bill expected. Our fight is not over and EverThrive IL will continue to stand with Illinoisans to advocate against ALL cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.